Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A nurse accused of abusing a patient at Connecticut's only maximum-security psychiatric hospital has filed for retirement benefits.
Mark Cusson is one of 10 workers at the Whiting psychiatric hospital in Middletown who have been charged with the abuse of patient William Shehadi, including kicking him and throwing food at him.
The Hartford Courant reports a lawyer for 49-year-old Cusson says his client is allowed to receive a state pension, even if he is eventually convicted.
Cusson was the hospital's head nurse and qualifies for retirement because of his 21 years of service. He was paid a salary of $173,000 last year.
The state can challenge a pension based on felony-level financial crimes, such as bribery, theft, fraud or embezzlement. Other crimes are not covered, even if they occurred on the job.
___
Information from: Hartford Courant, http://www.courant.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
